Laurustinus pollen

Viburnum tinus

Grey, sometimes with a greenish cast, in the grey range.

FloweringOctober to April

PollenFair

NectarFair

SeasonAutumn, Winter, Spring

WhereGarden, Hedgerow

One of the few winter offerings, taken gratefully whenever a mild day lets the bees out.

Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus) in flower — Photo: Relativity, CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikimedia Commons

Easy to mistake for these

Closest pollen colours in our set, measured the same way the pollen identifier scores a match. Colour alone will not settle it, so check the flowering months and what is actually growing near your hives.

BrambleJune to August BorageJune to September ElmFebruary to March Bell heatherJuly to August RaspberryJune to July

Confused with in the field

Noted by name in our own records, rather than worked out from the colour.

HelleborePale creamy yellow HoneysuckleMuted yellow

Out at about the same time

IvyDull gold to greenish MahoniaYellow Michaelmas daisyReddish yellow Winter clematisPale cream GoldenrodGolden Japanese knotweedPale olive cream

Saw a load like this going in?

Sample the colour against all 89 plants, then keep a forage record per hive.

Pollen identifier